Vector Assets on iOS

Bitmap Images• Coloured squares in a grid

make up an image

• Pixels

• Fixed size, determined by number of pixels

• Resolution dependent

• Scaling is undesirable

Bitmap Images

Vector Images

• Mathematical shapes

• Resolution independent

• Scales beautifully

Vector Images on iOS• Promises smaller app size

• Streamlined workflow for designers

• More flexible

• Not currently popular

Technologies

• Asset Catalogs

• Open-source frameworks

• PaintCode

• Supports Vector assets in PDF format

• Generates bitmaps at build time

• Still copies the PDFs into your app

Asset Catalogs

SVGKit• Open-source iOS framework

• SVG format

• Too buggy

PDFImage• Open-source iOS framework

• Same format as Asset Catalog

• Renders at run-time

• No unnecessary assets

• Supports animation

• Commercial graphics tool and code generator

• Supports many formats, ton of extra features

• Renders at run-time

• Real-time code generation. No assets at all?

• Supports animation, dynamic colours, dynamic shapes, parametric drawing via variables and expressions

PaintCode $99.99

Vector Assets on iOS

• Implementation details are important.

• Asset Catalog probably not what you want.

• PDFImage works as advertised, but is 3rd party.

• PaintCode is awesome, worth it if you go beyond just plain vector images.